


The Black Knight

by DarkxPrince



Series: Fading Fires [2]
Category: Dark Souls III
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-11
Updated: 2016-08-11
Packaged: 2018-08-08 05:19:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7744834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkxPrince/pseuds/DarkxPrince
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Unkindled Atarah returns to Firelink Shrine to an unexpected sight.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Black Knight

During her long journey throughout the land of Lothric, Atarah thought she had seen it all. She had seen dragons, fought giants, faced off against the Abyss Watchers, and even battled the fire demons of Izalith. Yet all of that did not prepare her for the sight which greeted her upon her return to Firelink Shrine. Not that there had been anything to cause her to think that there was something out of place. Upon her approach, all had been as it always was each time she visited. Save for the figure that stood by the Firekeeper, the armor that the figure wore was immediately recognizable; she had fought enough of them throughout her travels.

What was a Black Knight doing in Firelink Shrine?! Well, whatever the reason it couldn’t be anything good. Having fought against its kind before, Atarah knew how dangerous – and powerful – a Black Knight could be. Even so, she knew she had to act if she was going to protect those within the Shrine. Still, something bothered her in the back of her mind. If the Black Knight was hostile, then why wasn’t it attacking? It didn’t matter at the moment; she had to act before the Black Knight did. She raised Yorshka’s Chime, preparing to summon forth a Sunlit Spear, only for someone’s hand to gently lower it. Atarah glanced to her side to see Isasi. What was the elder pyromancer thinking?! Couldn’t the older woman see the threat that was right next to the Firekeeper?!

Isasi merely shook her head, returning to her seat on one of the many steps which circled the bonfire. Against her better judgement, Atarah followed the other woman’s lead, sitting on the step closest to the bonfire – making sure to keep the Black Knight within eyesight. Just now she saw that the Knight’s sword and shield were sheathed upon its back. Even so, she refused to lower her guard, Black Knights were deadly with – or without – their weapons.  Atarah glanced behind her at Isasi; the older woman was paging through one of her pyromancy tomes, a smile adorning her face as she too stole glances at the Black Knight and Firekeeper. Atarah frowned beneath her helm, what did the pyromancer know that she didn’t?

The Firekeeper and the Black Knight moved to sit at the bonfire, and Atarah could now just make out their hushed whispering. The Black Knight paused long enough to remove its helmet, to reveal the face of a woman. The woman’s dark crimson hair was held back in a bun, a few bangs hung down the one side of her face. A scar ran through the Knight’s left eye, the eye itself white as if she had been blind from it for a very long time. It was strange, Atarah supposed, seeing the face beneath the helmet. Of course there was another Undead beneath that armor. Yet, what set off this Black Knight apart from the others? It was said that when Lord Gwyn linked the First Flame, the Black Knights followed him and became ash. However, because of the Undead curse, they still wandered the lands attacking anything that crossed their path. Then, was this Black Knight lucky enough to regain her sanity? Or, like Atarah, was the female knight Unkindled, cursed to seek the previous Lords of Cinder?

The Firekeeper’s giggling drew Atarah out of her reverie. It was such a strange and unexpected thing she wasn’t even sure she had heard it the first time. The Firekeeper giggled again, covering her mouth with her hand as if to muffle it, and Atarah could barely see the small smirk upon the Black Knight’s face. Was this what Isasi had been smiling about earlier? Was there something going on between the Black Knight and the Firekeeper? And, if so, since when had that been going on? Not that Atarah thought she saw everything that went on in Firelink Shrine. She was, after all, gone for days at a time retuning only when she needed to restock her supplies or use the souls she gathered to strengthen herself.

Besides, was it so strange that another Unkindled – if the Black Knight was indeed Unkindled – looking for companionship? The journey of an Unkindled was a long and lonely one; Atarah herself would be the first to admit that she missed Anri’s company from time to time. Perhaps this would even help the Firekeeper; after all, she was just as much of a prisoner as they were. Watching the Firekeeper interact with the Black Knight, Atarah was filled with hope. Which itself was such an odd feeling and found so very rarely within the decayed and rotting land that she traveled.

 Atarah felt herself smile despite herself; perhaps there was still some good within this forsaken land.


End file.
